Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [177]
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Drinking & Entertainment
The nightlife action revolves around the Hasselbachplatz. For listings, pick up a copy of DATEs, Urbanite or Kulturfalter (all free, all in German).
Café Central ( 544 2791; Leibnitzstrasse 34; from 8pm) This hip bar-cum-literary salon recreates the early 1900s with antique velvet sofas, flock wallpaper and Persian carpets. There are comedy shows, public readings, films or lectures on many evenings, but the decor means it’s always worth a visit.
Deep ( 0172-393 8695; Breiter Weg 231; from 7pm) This dimly lit basement bar is trendy but extremely friendly, with DJs at the decks Thursday to Saturday and killer cocktails nightly. Enter via Einsteinstrasse.
Stern ( 0173-580 2219; Sternstrasse 9; from 7pm) For the cheapest beer around Hasselbach-platz, make a beeline to this alt-chic boîte with two floors of lounges and a dance floor. High flirt factor.
Factory ( 401 8892; www.factory-magdeburg.de, in German; Karl-Schmidt-Strasse 26-29; from 10pm Fri & Sat) On weekends, shaggy-haired students and skinny-jean hipsters invade this industrial space for concerts and a Happy Feet–inducing mix of indie rock, techno and hip hop.
Strandbar ( 0175-594 0059; Petriförder 1; 11am-1pm mid-Apr–Sep, weather permitting) Grab a deck chair and sink your toes into tonnes of sand lugged to this riverside beach bar that’s a fine spot for chilling down the day with cocktails and electro beats.
Stadthalle ( 593 4520; Heinrich-Heine-Platz 1, Stadtpark Rotehorn) From Mozart to Motörhead – as Magdeburg’s premier venue, this 2000-seat venue in the leafy central park has pretty much heard it all.
Johanniskirche (St John’s Church; 593 4650; Jacobstrasse 1) Popular for classical music concerts, this atmospheric church dates back, in parts, to 1131.
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Getting There & Away
Magdeburg is directly connected to Berlin-Hauptbahnhof (€25, 1¾ hours), Leipzig (€26, 1¼ hours) and Dessau (€10.30, one hour). It’s just south of the A2 to Berlin or Hanover and also served by the A14 to Leipzig.
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Getting Around
Bus and tram tickets cost €1.70 for a regular single and €3.40 for a day ticket. Buy them from vending machines at each stop.
Little John Bikes ( 555 6203; Alter Markt 13-14; 10am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat) is a full-service bike shop that also rents two-wheelers for €10 per day (€25 for three days, €70 for a week).
For a taxi call 737 373.
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DETOUR: THE ALTMARK
An hour’s drive north of Magdeburg, the Altmark is an idyllic and sparsely populated region, where flat fields stretch out in all directions and horses outnumber humans. The main hub is Stendal (population 36,000), a former Hanseatic trading post with a cluster of splendid medieval structures scattered about its compact Altstadt. Pick up a town map at the train station, then stroll over to the Tangermünder Tor, one of two striking town gates; the other is the Uenglinger Tor on the north end of the old town.
From Tangermünder Tor, head up Schadewachten and Breite Strasse to the Kornmarkt, where you’ll find the tourist office ( 651 190; www.stendal.de; Kornmarkt 8; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat, also 10am-1pm Sun Apr-Sep). The square itself is dominated by the late-Renaissance Rathaus (town hall), guarded by a monumental Roland statue and the twin-towered late-Gothic brick Marienkirche.
A bit further north awaits Stendal’s most quirky attraction: a 16m-tall, 45-tonne Trojan Horse (the world’s largest replica, according to the Guinness Book of Records). You can climb into the belly of the horse and enjoy great views from the top. The horse sits on the grounds of the Winckelmann-Museum ( 215 226; www.winckelmann-gesellschaft.de; Winckelmannstrasse 36-38; adult/concession/family €4/2.50/10, 10am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Mar), which is otherwise devoted to the father of modern archaeology, local boy Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–68).
While you’re exploring this remote region, you might as well swing by Tangermünde